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Today is Saint Martin's Day! Also known as Martinmas, Saint Martin's Day has long been an important feast in the Church. Traditionally marking the end of autumn and the harvest season, Saint Martin's Day originally began a period of forty days of fasting, like Lent. That season was eventually shortened into Advent as we know it now, but Saint Martin's Day still remains a major feast around the world, and has many colorful traditions associated with it.

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Seven Common Misconceptions About Lent Whether you’ve been a Christian for 40 years or 40 minutes, there’s probably something you’re confused about when it comes to the season of Lent. Don’t worry. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your own pastor may have to check with the bishop once in a while to make sure he’s got everything straight for …

Today is the feast of Saint John Bosco! This beloved saint is well-known for his compassionate work with poor and homeless youth, with his legacy continuing both in his home country of Italy, in the United States, and around the world. He is the patron saint of editors, publishers, schoolchildren, juvenile delinquents, and many others. To celebrate his feast day, Aquinas and More has two of our most popular Saint John Bosco titles on sale!

Many of us are familiar with the standard, five decade rosary, the centuries-old favorite devotion of Roman Catholics throughout the world. An ornate crucifix on a strand of rosary beads is an image that most associate with devout and faithful prayer. But sometimes confusion arises with other terms, such as “chaplet” or “Franciscan rosary.” Aren’t they all the same? Well, not quite. The term rosary is used for various sets of prayers counted on beads, but the prayers may vary from those used in the Dominican Rosary – the most widely known form of the rosary. Additionally, there are some rosaries that use the standard prayers, but serve a specific purpose, like the wedding rosary. Here is some clarification on some of those different rosary terms. Five Decade Rosary The five decade rosary is the one most people picture when they hear the word rosary. It consists of a crucifix, then a short set of 5 beads, for praying the Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, and then a rosary center, followed by a loop of 5 decades (sets of ten beads) to count the Hail Marys prayed as one meditates on the mysteries of the rosary, with a bead for praying the Our Father between each decade. This traditional rosary (both the physical strand of beads and the prayer) is also known as the Dominican Rosary, due to St. Dominic’s role in encouraging and spreading devotion to the holy rosary at the request of the Blessed Mother. Franciscan Rosaries The Franciscan Rosary can refer to two different rosaries associated with the Franciscan order. One is the Franciscan Crown, sometimes called a seven decade rosary. As the name suggests, it consists of 7 decades, rather than 5, plus two additional Hail Mary beads, for a total of 72 …

When I first saw the announcement from Ignatius Press about the new Didache Bible. I wasn't that interested. It has "commentaries based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church." Yawn. "More than 100 apologetic explanations that help to answer common questions about the faith." That's a little more interesting.